Issue 85 - Lowland trinity

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Lowland trinity

Our man suggests three different ways to see this clutch of distilleries.

The new regulations governing Scotch whisky introduced late last year once more brought the issue of the whisky regions into focus.

With whisky makers experimenting with production methods and cask types, a number of distilleries bottling an array of different whisky styles and the accepted regional barriers are being increasingly broken down, there are those who question the relevance of geographical definitions.

Nowhere is this more the case than in the Lowlands, where just three distilleries remain, each of them miles away from the next.

Glenkinchie, which is sited close to Edinburgh, is closer to Aberdeen and the Highland distilleries around the city, than it is to Bladnoch.

Auchentoshan is nearer Oban than Bladnoch.

Just as relevant, the three distilleries have little in common with each other, and any regional characteristics are slight. Glenkinchie is a gingery aperitif malt, Auchentoshan is triple distilled and through its newish and impressive 12 Years Old and the established Three Wood, is the most robust. Bladnoch has gentle appley style all its own, and offers peated malts, too.

Should you choose to make the journey between the three, though, you will be rewarded with some of the most unspoiled and diverse landscape that Scotland has to offer.

With careful planning, you can enrich your Scottish trek with a varied alternative take on the traditional Highland break.